The existing prior art uses a scripting tool and an execution environment for interactive voice mail audio text that defines scripts in a very linear fashion. For instance, a script definition could be "wait for a telephone ring." When the phone the rings, then answer; prompt the caller with a predefined set of choices; receive the selected choice via either DTMF or voice recognition, and then perform the selected function.
FIG. 7 is a diagram of flow of typical prior art interactive voice recognition/DTMF program 700, i.e., "for information regarding . . . speak or press 1 now". Typical programs follow a sequence of events: telephone ring and answer 701, prompt and greet the caller 702, present some finite number of choices or functions 704 in a predetermined fashion 703, and receive the user input 705 either through a DTMF input or a voice command. Then perform the selected function 706, and so forth.
Whether the system uses a voice recognition choice or a numeric DTMF input, some function is invoked, and again in a very predetermined manner, the caller is returned to the prompt 702 at the beginning of the program. The prior art system is very inflexible in that the flow of the choices or functions, and the presentation of those choices, are tied very tightly to the functions in the function definition.
The limitation of the prior art is that it is very rigid and only able to present a finite number of options to the caller in a predetermined fashion. Moreover, the logic of the presentation to the caller is preset, and thus is limited by the creativity of the system programmer.